Cell for treating material by irradiation



Sept' 24 V` R. M. FRAPS I I cELL Fon. TREATING MATERIAL BY IRRADIATION Filed sept. 19, 1952 2l sheets-sheet J2 Patent-ed Sept. 24, V1935 UNITED STATES CELL FOB TREATING MATERIAL BY -IRRADIATIQN Richard Mason Fraps, Tucson, Ariz.

Application September 19, 1932, Serial No'. 633,791

3 Claims.

My invention relates'to an improvement in means for irradiating substances and has for one purpose the provision of means for subjecting the substance to radiation. Another object is the provision of an improved cell or container for containing a body of material during irradiation, said container being adapted to house or accommodate the entire body oflmaterial being treated, to prevent the necessity of any outside connection or circulation of the material being treated which need be/eiective during treatment. Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of the Aspecification and claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying 16 drawings, more or less diagrammatically, wherein l Figure 1 is a vertical section with parts in side elevation;

Figure 2 is a section on a larger scale of the upper portion of the cell structure;

Figure 3 illustratesa slightly variant form of cell;

. Figure 4 illustrates a further variant form of cell; and

Figure 5 is a detail. Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings and first to Figures l and 2, A generally indicates a reiiector, which A1 to receive an vaxial extension, A2, having inlet and outlet passages A3 whereby a cooling medium,

for example water, may be introduced.

B generally indicates a cell structure, which is effectively unitary during treatment, there being no external connection for the material being treated during treatment, and any circulation or movement of the material being treated. into or out of the cell during treatment. The cell B includes a ask or container, B1,l herein shown as spherical, but which may be of any suitable form, which is positioned in the container, A?. It is preferably spaced from the walls of the container A2 to permit the circulation thereabout of the'cooling medium employed. The container B1 is continued in the form of a neck B11 with the bevelled ground joint portion B3 adapted to reiceive the corresponding ground portion B1"A of the upper portion B4 of the cell. 'I'he upper cell lportion B1 is indicated as having a spherical enlargement B6 preferably positioned about the focal pointv of theV reflector A, or adjacent or at the zone of concentration of radiation from the reflector A. The member B'is further enlarged at the end opposite the connection B5, as at B",

may be parabolic,'and which is apertured as at to receive any suitable closing plug, B1, which may be of metal and may include the sleeve B for the rotary shaft B10 which may be actuated through the pulley B11 and belt B12 from the motor B13 las shown for example in Figure 1. 5 At the end of the shaft B1`is a screw or agi.A tating device C which is positioned ywithin an inner housing C1 fitted as at Czwithin an inner aperture C3 in the plug B8. It is further continued as a passage C4 which terminates as at C5 10 adjacent the bottom of the container B1. The screw may be so pitched or rotated as'to cause a circulation of material downwardly alongthe passage C* through the container B1, upwardly throughthe sleeve B2 and within the portion B4 15.

and finally through its enlarged treatment area B6, the circuit being continued through the apertures Cs in the member C1. C'I indicates' any suitable supply inlet for thebcell, which'may be closed during treatment, and through which, if 20' desired, an inert gas may be admitted, asfor example nitrogen, to prevent any oxidation of the material before, during or after treatment.

Referring to Figure 3 I illustrate a form differing somewhat from the form of Figure 1. container B1 is indicated as of smaller size, being generally cylindrical rather than spherical, the surrounding4 circulation of the cooling medium being omitted. The spherical enlargement B, which is preferable but not necessary, may be Vomitted, as in Figure 3, in case the angle of incidence of the radiation is such as to prevent any substantial loss by reflection. I further illustrate, in connection with Figure 3, alower inlet, D, for the admission of nitrogen or inert gases, which 35 may be controlled by the valve D1 at the end of the elongated passage D2. The passage D may be extended inwardly into the passage C4 as indicated at D3 in Figure 5.

Referring to Figure 4 I may position about the 40 enlarged portion B6 of the cell B1, an outer container or vwall E to form an outer jacket having the passages or connections E1, whereby a fluid medium may be introduced into the outer jacket so formed. I may employ any suitable medium, either for. ltering the incident radiation, or for cooling lthe material undergoing treatment, or for obtaining both effects.

It will berealized that whereas I have described and shown a practical and operative device, I wish my drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative and' diagrammatic rather than as limiting me to my precise showing. The use and operation of my invention is as follows:

I provide a cell or containerr for the treatment 55 The 25` of materials by subjecting them to radiation. While I do not wish to be limited, in the use of my cell, to any particular source of radiation, I ilnd it efficient in connection with the employment of solar radiation. As an example of such use I may indicate the activation, by solar ultra violet radiation, of ergosterol, in order to impart to it anti-rachitic characteristics. In so employing the cell I may for example employ the parabolic reflector, A, which concentrates the radiation at or about a focal point or zone of concentration of radiation. I so position my cell, in relation to the reflector, that the material in the cell is subjected to such concentrated radiation. Assuming that the reflector is employed in connection with solar radiation, it is simply positioned .n the sun, any suitable means being employed, so far as necessary, to keep the reflector aligned with the sun, and the solar radiation incident upon the reflector A will be concentrated, upon the cell, for example upon the spherical area B6.

In the form of cell herein shown I prefer to maintain a closed circulation of the material being treated, the cell including not only means for guiding the material through the zone of concentrated radiation, but also means for containing the entire mass or volume of material undergoing treatment. Hence the container portion B1, may be positioned out of the zone of concentration. I prefer to employ a propelling or circulating screw, C, rotated by the motor B13, for imparting a circulatory movement to the material undergoing treatment. In order to prevent any escape of the material I employ ground joints, as abovedescribed, the'cell being formed of several different parts, the various parts being all secured together by gas-tight ground joints. It will be understood that in response to rotation of the motor B13 `the screw C moves the liquid undergoing treatment either upwardly or downwardly through the passage C, the liquid being circulated beneath the .Wall B4 and through the enlargement B6, through the zone of maximum concentration of radiation. When the treatment has been completed, the material having been subjected to such radiation for a predetermined period, depending upon the desired conditions or results, the cell as a whole may be removed from the reflector and-the material withdrawn, and a new cell, with a complete supply of material ready for treatment, inserted in the reflector.

It being sometimes desirable to cool the material undergoing treatment, to prevent overheating, oxidation and the like, I may employ a water jacket or cooling medium about some part of the cell. As an example, I may employ the jacket shown in Figure 1, or I' may employ an outer jacket as shown in Figure 4, in which last case the jacket may also serve a filtering function, be-

lng interposed between the material being treated and the incident concentrated radiation.

I may maintain an inert atmosphere in the container during treatment. I may for examvple supply nitrogen eitherthrough the passage C, or throughthe passage D. Under some circumstances, as where a steady and cheap supply of nitrogen is available, I may employ the inflowing jet of nitrogen as means for maintaining circulation of the material undergoing treatment. I indicate such a structure in Figure 5, the steady delivery of nitrogen through the jet D3, having the effect of causing an upward movement of the material through the passage C4, which either 10 supplements or replaces rotation of the screw C.

I claim:

1. In a device for irradiating materials by sunlight, a concentrating reflector and a cell adapted to contain the material to be treated, said cell 15 including a portion positioned in the zone of maximum concentration of radiation of said reflector, and a storage portion positioned out of said zone extending through an aperture in the reflector together with two passages connecting 20 said portions of the cell to provide for continuous circulation of fluid material therethrough, and mechanical means mounted within the cell adapted for forcibly maintaining such circulation.

2. In a device for irradiating materials by sung5 light a concentrating reflector of relatively large area, a relatively small, approximately spherical treating chamber located substantially at the focus of said reflector, the wall of said chamberl being pervious to the desired portion of the radl- 30 ation concentrated thereon, a storage chamber for fluid to be treated located adjacent the reflector but outside the zone of maximum concentration of radiation, an inner wall Within the treating chamber spaced from the outer wall to 35 confine the fl'uid to a relatively slight depth as measured from the outer wall, a port leading from such space through the .inner wall, a passage leading from within said inner wall to the storage chamber and a return passage leading from the 40 storage chamber to the space between the said walls constituting a closed circuit for the circulation of fluid to be treated, and a rotary pumping element mounted within said inner wall adjacent its said port for forcibly moving the liquid 45 through said circuit, together with driving means for said element extending outside the treating chamber.

3. In a device for irradiating materials by sunlight, a concentrating reflector and a treating 50 chamber of approximately spherical form fixedly supported by the reflector substantially at the focus thereof, and a storage chamber for fluid to be treated also flxedly supported on the reflector butV out of the zone of maximum concentration 55 of radiation, together with passages connecting said chambers and constituting a closed circuit for circulation of said fluid, and mechanical means within the treating chamber operable for inducing such circulation of the fluid and provided with an operating member exposed outside said chamber.

RICHARD MASON FRAPS. 

